2:1 Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem ¹  again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. 2:2 I went there ²  because of ³  a revelation and presented ⁴  to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so ⁵  only in a private meeting with the influential people, ⁶  to make sure that I was not running – or had not run ⁷  – in vain. 2:3 Yet ⁸  not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. 2:4 Now this matter arose ⁹  because of the false brothers with false pretenses ¹⁰  who slipped in unnoticed to spy on ¹¹  our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. ¹²  2:5 But ¹³  we did not surrender to them ¹⁴  even for a moment, ¹⁵  in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ¹⁶ 

2:6 But from those who were influential ¹⁷  (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people ¹⁸ ) – those influential leaders ¹⁹  added ²⁰  nothing to my message. ²¹  2:7 On the contrary, when they saw ²²  that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised ²³  just as Peter was to the circumcised ²⁴  2:8 (for he who empowered ²⁵  Peter for his apostleship ²⁶  to the circumcised ²⁷  also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) ²⁸  2:9 and when James, Cephas, ²⁹  and John, who had a reputation as ³⁰  pillars, ³¹  recognized ³²  the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me ³³  the right hand of fellowship, agreeing ³⁴  that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ³⁵  2:10 They requested ³⁶  only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

2:11 But when Cephas ³⁷  came to Antioch, ³⁸  I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. ³⁹  2:12 Until ⁴⁰  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ⁴¹  and separated himself ⁴²  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ⁴³  2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them ⁴⁴  by their hypocrisy. 2:14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ⁴⁵  in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force ⁴⁶  the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

2:15 We are Jews by birth ⁴⁷  and not Gentile sinners, ⁴⁸  2:16 yet we know ⁴⁹  that no one ⁵⁰  is justified by the works of the law ⁵¹  but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. ⁵²  And ⁵³  we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ ⁵⁴  and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one ⁵⁵  will be justified. 2:17 But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages ⁵⁶  sin? Absolutely not! 2:18 But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, ⁵⁷  I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. ⁵⁸  2:19 For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, ⁵⁹  and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So ⁶⁰  the life I now live in the body, ⁶¹  I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, ⁶²  who loved me and gave himself for me. 2:21 I do not set aside ⁶³  God’s grace, because if righteousness ⁶⁴  could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing! ⁶⁵